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Summary

Since the release of Final Fantasy 9 in February of 2001, UK gamers have been waiting patiently for the PlayStation 2 sequel. Weve played it, so let us tell you what its all about.

As the first next-generation Final Fantasy title, this particular instalment is likely to be scrutinised mostly for its visual enhancements. In the previous three Final Fantasies, the battle arena was the only section of the game to see real-time 3D rendered environments. Squares ability to exploit new hardware has allowed them to develop a good 60% of the entire game in full 3D splendour. Minor areas such as shops and some cut-scenes require Squares pre-rendering genius, but the rest, including all characters, use the polygon-pushing power of the PlayStation 2 probably better than any game created before it. The sheer number of textures, the size of the environments and the character features are a pleasure to behold.

So whats the story all about this time, eh? In a nutshell, the world of Spira is under constant attack by a spiritual bad dude known as Sin. A star player of Spiras soccer equivalent, Blitzball, Tidus soon meets with Yuna and finds himself to be a crucial cog in the wheels of fate in his fight against evil.

Although the story is often the driving force with role-playing games, theres no denying that Final Fantasy 10s addictive quality lies in the heart of the all-new battle system. Known to implement a new and complex levelling up system for each game, Square has developed something unique for this latest production, and its called the Sphere Grid.

It is a known fact that random battles are the bulk of role-playing gameplay, particularly in Square games, and Final Fantasy 10 is no different. You will face many challenges in battle, including hundreds of both new and familiar fiends, as well as some formidable bosses. We must stress though, that Final Fantasy 10 is much more difficult than the three previous instalments in this respect. Gone are the days when you could hack n slash your way through battles as a high level swordsman. The enemy now fights intelligently, and you must do the same. The bosses in particular show themselves to be especially devious and require the player to use very specific abilities to defend attacks successfully. Quite often, the difference between victory and failure in battle can be a simple Haste or Protect spell.

To conclude, Squaresofts tenth instalment of the legendary series is by no means disappointing. On the contrary, Square has produced a game that doesnt cash in on its reputation as many other sequels do, but uses the winning formula to create something better, more advanced and more playable than anything that has gone before it. Final Fantasy 10 improves upon what is already one of the best selling video game franchises in the history of the industry, and does it well. Simply beautiful.